The Confederation of African Football has reaffirmed its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, reinforcing a position already taken by its member associations earlier this year.
Reuters reported on 6 August that CAF’s Executive Committee had again backed Infantino during a period of debate over FIFA governance and commercial decision-making.
CAF’s latest position follows an earlier decision by its member associations. On 29 April, CAF announced that its member associations had unanimously agreed to support Infantino’s re-election for the 2027–2031 term.
Africa remains a major bloc within FIFA
CAF represents 54 FIFA member associations, making Africa one of the largest voting blocs in world football governance. Collective positions taken by African associations can therefore carry substantial weight in FIFA presidential elections and wider institutional debates.
The confederation’s support for Infantino has been consistent. CAF leaders have frequently emphasised cooperation with FIFA on development funding, infrastructure, competitions and administrative reform across African football.
That relationship has also made CAF’s stance especially relevant when FIFA faces criticism from other parts of the international football system. The current debate concerns governance and consultation around a recent commercial proposal that drew objections from some football bodies.
Governance debate extends beyond Africa
Reuters reported that FIFA has said it will review the process around the commercial proposal after concerns were raised about how the initiative was developed and communicated.
The disagreement highlights a recurring tension in international sports governance: how major commercial decisions are balanced against consultation with confederations, associations and other stakeholders whose competitions, revenues and calendars may be affected.
CAF’s decision to reiterate support for Infantino does not remove those wider governance questions, but it shows that the FIFA president continues to retain strong backing from African football leadership.
Support already declared for 2027–2031
The April endorsement was unusually clear. CAF said its member associations had unanimously agreed to support Infantino for another term, giving the FIFA president an important early bloc of declared support well before the next presidential election.
For African associations, the relationship with FIFA is not limited to elections. FIFA funding and development programmes support football infrastructure, technical development, women’s football, youth competitions and administration across many countries on the continent.
Those programmes form part of the broader institutional relationship between FIFA and CAF, although individual member associations retain their own voting rights and governance responsibilities.
What happens next
The immediate focus will be on how FIFA handles the review of the disputed commercial process and whether further changes are made to consultation or governance procedures.
CAF’s position is already clear: the confederation continues to support Infantino and has linked that support to his prospective 2027–2031 term.
As debate over FIFA governance continues, Africa’s voting strength means CAF’s stance will remain significant both politically and institutionally within world football.
Sources
- CAF: Member associations unanimously support Gianni Infantino for re-election
- Reuters: CAF backs FIFA president Gianni Infantino
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